Receiver Javon Walker doesn't want to play for the Raiders any longer.

Hell, we'd forgotten that he still does.

Per Steve Corkran of the Oakland Tribune, Walker thinks he can still be a productive player.

He can't do it from the sidelines, however.

"[I]t's not that I can't play," Walker said earlier this week. "I can play. From everyone who sees me at practice, I still got it going on."

Walker hasn't played because the Raiders have opted to go younger at receiver. And coach Tom Cable seems to want to keep Walker around.

"If you get an injury here, an injury there, then he's the next guy," Cable said of Walker. "That has kind of been his role in this whole thing."

Last month, Walker said he'd accept a trade. He generally has been disregarded this year, perhaps because of that mystery operation in an undisclosed location.

Walker's desire to be dumped occurs after Walker accepted in late February a significantly reduced contract in order to stay with the team. If he'd merely said "no," his present wish would have been granted months ago.

But even if his wish is granted now, we're not sure anyone else will want him. He has had only two solid showings in eight NFL seasons, and he simply hasn't been the same since the night of Darrent Williams' murder.

Posted by Michael David Smith on November 13, 2009 1:49 PM ET
One of the NFL's oldest records is Sammy Baugh's single-season punting average of 51.40 yards per punt, set in 1940.

In seven decades since then, Shane Lechler has come the closest of any player to equaling Baugh's achievement, when he averaged 49.11 yards per punt in 2007. That's an impressive number, the second best in NFL history, but it's still more than two yards a boot behind Baugh.

This year, however, there's talk that Lechler might be ready to surpass Baugh's mark. The Associated Press is pointing out that Lechler currently averages 52.3 yards a punt, by far the best mark in the league and well ahead of Baugh's record pace.

However, as we've noted previously, punters routinely put up better numbers over the first half of the season than they do over the second half, as weather worsens and conditions become more difficult for punters. It would be tough for Lechler to continue to average 52.3 yards a punt for eight more games.

That doesn't mean Lechler won't break the record, just that Baugh's record won't go down easily.

It should also be noted that as great a punter as Baugh was, he didn't have as strong a leg as Lechler. Baugh's average was bolstered, however, by employing plenty of quick kicks, when he would take a snap at quarterback and then punt the ball from just a few yards behind the line of scrimmage. Those quick kicks usually got long rolls at the end, because opposing defenses wouldn't have a returner ready to catch them on the fly.

In any event, while it's tough to make much of a comparison between Lechler and Baugh, it will be interesting to see whether Lechler can keep up the pace and give Baugh a run for his money. At least, to the extent that watching the Oakland Raiders punt could ever be described as "interesting."

The Dolphins publicly have acknowledged that running back Ronnie Brown will miss Thursday night's game against the Panthers due to a foot injury suffered on Sunday against the Buccaneers.

The Dolphins have not publicly acknowledged that the team fears Brown will miss the remainder of the season.

Per a league source, the current thinking is that Brown will not be able to play again this year. Of course, this could change based upon the advice of the specialist that Brown eventually sees and the success of rehab efforts.

The challenge for the Dolphins will be to decide whether to carry Brown on the roster in the hopes he can return, or to send him to injured reserve and create a roster spot.

Some Fins fans might be wondering why the Dolphins didn't make a run at running back Larry Johnson, due to Brown's injury. The fact that Miami V.P. of football operations Bill Parcells is the father-in-law of Chiefs G.M. Scott Pioli answers that question fairly conclusively.

Posted by Michael David Smith on November 13, 2009 1:49 PM ET
One of the NFL's oldest records is Sammy Baugh's single-season punting average of 51.40 yards per punt, set in 1940.

In seven decades since then, Shane Lechler has come the closest of any player to equaling Baugh's achievement, when he averaged 49.11 yards per punt in 2007. That's an impressive number, the second best in NFL history, but it's still more than two yards a boot behind Baugh.

This year, however, there's talk that Lechler might be ready to surpass Baugh's mark. The Associated Press is pointing out that Lechler currently averages 52.3 yards a punt, by far the best mark in the league and well ahead of Baugh's record pace.

However, as we've noted previously, punters routinely put up better numbers over the first half of the season than they do over the second half, as weather worsens and conditions become more difficult for punters. It would be tough for Lechler to continue to average 52.3 yards a punt for eight more games.

That doesn't mean Lechler won't break the record, just that Baugh's record won't go down easily.

It should also be noted that as great a punter as Baugh was, he didn't have as strong a leg as Lechler. Baugh's average was bolstered, however, by employing plenty of quick kicks, when he would take a snap at quarterback and then punt the ball from just a few yards behind the line of scrimmage. Those quick kicks usually got long rolls at the end, because opposing defenses wouldn't have a returner ready to catch them on the fly.

In any event, while it's tough to make much of a comparison between Lechler and Baugh, it will be interesting to see whether Lechler can keep up the pace and give Baugh a run for his money. At least, to the extent that watching the Oakland Raiders punt could ever be described as "interesting."

Too bad we couldn't scam Lechler from the Raiders. This guy has been one of the best punters of all time.

It should also be noted that as great a punter as Baugh was, he didn't have as strong a leg as Lechler. Baugh's average was bolstered, however, by employing plenty of quick kicks, when he would take a snap at quarterback and then punt the ball from just a few yards behind the line of scrimmage. Those quick kicks usually got long rolls at the end, because opposing defenses wouldn't have a returner ready to catch them on the fly.
...."

I don't know why teams don't do a quick kick at least once a game especially vs teams with great returners or poor special teams.

Think about it 3rd and 20, 3rd and 12 on your own 45, quick kick and pin the D deep in their end.

News:Ronnie Brown's season is over for the Miami Dolphins. Miami's leading rusher was placed on injured reserve Wednesday because of what is believed to be a Lisfranc fracture in his right foot, according to the Miami Herald. It's his second season-ending injury in three years. Brown will visit a specialist in Charlotte and is with his teammates as they head there to take on the Panthers in Week 11. According to one of the Herald's sources, Brown's injury is "not anything major as far as career or long term." Brown rushed for 648 yards, caught for 98 yards and passed for 22 yards with nine total touchdowns (one passing) in 2009.

The Washington Redskins knew after Sunday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys that the news was bad about the knee injury suffered by running back Ladell Betts.

This morning it's been revealed that the news is really, really bad.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Betts has a torn ACL and MCL and will need surgery.

That type of injury doesn't just put him out for the season; it also calls into question whether he'll be ready for next season -- especially with a running back who's on the wrong side of 30.

Betts was starting in place of the injured Clinton Portis, who is expected to miss at least one more game. Rock Cartwright and Quinton Ganther carried the load for the Redskins after Betts went down, and the team may need to sign a running back this week.

Jon Runyan's political career will have to wait a little while longer.

The veteran right tackle, who had microfracture surgery in the offseason and who has worked his way back in to shape only to have no serious suitors, has signed with the Chargers.

Runyan will fill the roster spot created by the placement of starting right tackle Jeromey Clary on injured reserve, due to an ankle injury.

"We are very fortunate that a player of Jon's experience and ability was available at this time," G.M. A.J. Smith said in a team-issued release. "He is an outstanding competitor, and I have always admired the physical, nasty approach he brings to the field every game. He will be added to the mix and we will move forward."

But the Chargers will move forward with Runyan only for the balance of the season. Runyan says that he'll retire after the season, and then run for Congress.

"Yesterday, I received an offer to pursue my professional dream of winning a Super Bowl, and have decided to sign with the San Diego Chargers for the remainder of this season through the playoffs," Runyan said in a release of his own, via HuggingHaroldReynolds.com. "Win or lose, these will be my final games as an NFL player. Last night, I personally informed the Republican County Chairmen in NJ's 3rd Congressional District that after the season is over I plan to officially retire from football and pursue a campaign for the United States Congress. I want to thank all of the people who have been encouraging me to run next year and let them know that I look forward to a successful end to my career on the field, and a spirited campaign against Congressman Adler in 2010."

Runyan started every game at right tackle for the Eagles from 2000 through 2008.

In San Diego, Runyan joins a 7-3 team that has won five in a row, and that seems poised to make it back to the postseason and compete with the likes of the Colts, Patriots, and Steelers for a championship.

After spending 13 seasons with the New York Giants, Amani Toomer wasn't ready to retire this off-season. So in August he signed a one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Chiefs.

After less than a month in Kansas City, Toomer got cut. And now Toomer says he thinks he's done playing football, and he doesn't look back with fond memories of those last four weeks of his career with the Chiefs.

"I feel like it was a mistake going to Kansas City," Toomer said, per Alex Marvez of FoxSports.com. "I played 13 years in a great organization like the Giants. I was in a preseason game with Kansas City and it felt like it wasn't pro football to me. It kind of made it easy for me [to walk away]."

At the time he signed with the Chiefs, Toomer said, "If you look at the situation here, with a new coach, a great quarterback, it's just a good situation for me to be in, and I'm happy to be here."

It didn't take long for Toomer to realize that he wouldn't want to end his career on a bad team.

It's no secret that Notre Dame will be firing head coach Charlie Weis.

Now, it's no secret that he'll have multiple options at the NFL level.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Weis is telling people that he has been contacted by multiple NFL teams, presumably to serve in the position of offensive coordinator.

Schefter seems to think that Weis will be back in the NFL by next year. We still aren't ready to rule out Weis re-joining the Patriots for the stretch run.

As we've previously said, Weis can sit at home and feel sorry for himself. Or he can keep his sleeves rolled up and start the process of washing the bad taste out of this mouth.

The most obvious candidates are the Chiefs and the Patriots. Browns coach Eric Mangini might also be interested in hiring Weis to run the Cleveland offense, in the hopes of getting the most out of former Weis pupil Brady Quinn and, more importantly, securing for Mangini another year at the helm of the hapless Browns.